Taking Chances
by flawedperfectionx
Summary: "I think I may be..." Her voice quietened as she tossed her head toward the area of the master bedroom. She remained silent as the sounds of Rick's snoring seemed to bring her ease. "I think I may be pregnant." Slight AU.


**Disclaimer: If I was Milmar, I would probably have a lot of money and wouldn't need to write fanfic because I would be busy writing episodes**

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A/N: I don't usually do these at the beginning of my fics, but I felt like this needed a bit of explanation before I dived into it. To anyone who follows castlefanficprompts on tumblr, you would have seen this already. However, to those of you who don't, you're about to get a treat. Thank you for reading! Xo.

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When she first heard the noise, she wasn't sure what it was. Waking up from a deep sleep, Kate was on high alert the moment she heard a noise that didn't quite... fit into the regular Castle home. She pushed Rick's body off of her gently and crawled out of bed, grabbing her extra piece from the wall safe on the way out. She was always on alert, always ready to get the bad guy. However, it wasn't burglars or creepy obsessed fans crawling into the Castle home that day.

It was Rick's twenty year old daughter. And by the appearance of slumped shoulders and Ben & Jerry's rocky road ice cream, Kate knew almost instantly something was up. Depositing her piece back into the safe and locking it up quietly, she advanced toward the kitchen where Alexis sat and noticed the visible tears in her blue eyes.

"Alexis?" She asked cautiously, pulling one of the chairs beside her out and sitting down on it. At first, the sound of her voice didn't alert her, but as soon as Kate pressed her hand against the girl's shoulder, she jumped back slightly, staring wide eyed at her companion. "What's wrong?"

Alexis immediately wiped her eyes and shoved the spoon back into her ice cream. "N-nothing." She said quickly and moved to stand up but Kate caught her wrist. "Really... It's nothing."

Kate had no idea how to approach this. She'd never really dealt with the step-mother position she was about to be given. Most of the guys she was used to dating were as unattached as she was. However, she felt a certain need to help Alexis, no matter how small the problem that may be bothering her. "Alexis..." She trailed off slowly, releasing her wrist. "I'm not your mother or anything, but you know you can talk to me anytime, right?"

The thought seemed to startle the girl and for a moment Kate took in the look, mentally going over it again and again in her mind. She'd never really asked how old Alexis had been when Meredith had decided that she no longer wanted to play Mommy. Nor had she thought over how old she would have been when Gina came in. She couldn't expect that either of those incidents had occurred when she as fairly old. Kate was a completely different ball game. Alexis knew about her a long time before she and Castle even moved forward to the possibility of a relationship.

Alexis, without saying anything, slumped down in the chair again, hands clasping around the small tub of ice cream. "I..." She lost her breath suddenly as the tears began to resurface. Kate's palm moved to the center of her back and she rubbed a slow circle, silently coaxing whatever was on her mind out. The girl stilled at the contact but didn't move away from it. "I think I may be..." Her voice quietened as she tossed her head toward the area of the master bedroom. She remained silent as the sounds of Rick's snoring seemed to bring her ease. "I think I may be pregnant."

Kate took a moment to take in her words, all the while keeping a sturdy hand against the girl's back. She couldn't say she was shocked, at her age Kate had been very sexually active, despite her father's wishes. However, Alexis had always carried a certain degree of carefulness and pride with her. She supposed that was the most shocking part of the news, the good girl fearing the worst.

"Oh," she said finally. "Have you taken a test?"

Alexis shook her head slowly and buried her face in her hands. "No." She murmured into her palms. "God, this is so irresponsible of me." She declared as she pulled her hands away and glanced at Kate before her eyes fell. "I'm turning into my mother, for god's sake."

The mention of Meredith seemed to strike an emotional chord with her and she broke into sobs again. Kate kept rubbing the rhythmic circle while the girl cried, understanding the feeling and the ache. "Alexis," she said finally. "Alexis, look at me, please."

Despite her best efforts, the girl couldn't bring herself to look up. She sobbed hard and it was only when she felt Kate's hand press against her cheek and gently lift her eyes to meet hers that she stilled somewhat. The pure care in the woman's eyes caught her off guard completely.

"Listen," Kate began. "If this is true, then your father and I will help you in any way we possibly can." She knew it wasn't much; while she had been in Alexis' life for years now, she was still just the woman who was going to marry her father. "Second of all, you can and never will be Meredith. You are too strong for that. If you are with child, there's always options, but you can't let your parents' define who you will be." She paused for a moment. "You are already a wonderful human being, Alexis. I know for a fact that, when the time is right, you will make a good mother. Let's just hope that it doesn't come as soon as we think."

Alexis stared at her for a long moment. "What am I going to do?"

"First, _we_ are going to go to a pharmacy and buy tests." She extended her hand toward Alexis who took it slowly. "Then _we_ will come back here and we will figure out what's going on." She added and waited until the woman nodded her head before she continued. "When _we_ know the outcome, _we_ will plan what to do."

Alexis nodded again, rubbing her hand over her face. "This is so embarrassing."

Kate paused for a moment before she nodded her head. She understood where she was coming from, having been on that side of the table before. "I'll take them with you if it will make you feel more comfortable."

With a warm smile, Alexis squeezed her hand. "Thank you, Kate. I know we haven't always gotten on the right foot with each other, but I appreciate your support." She paused and licked her lips. "But um... Can we keep this a secret from my Dad until we know for sure?"

"Deal." Kate said without thinking. It was a lot easier to keep things from Rick in theory. "I have an hour and a half lunch break tomorrow. I can swing around and pick you up and we can do it then?"

"Won't Dad be suspicious and ask you where you're going?" Alexis asked apprehensively.

"I'll tell him it has something to do with the bridesmaids' dresses." She joked quietly, sharing a smile with the girl. "That should keep his mind off of the possibilities."

* * *

The next day, she slid out of the precinct on high alert. Distracting Castle was easy, but going to pick up Little Castle left her with an unsettling feeling in her stomach. She didn't like keeping secrets from her soon-to-be husband, but she also had Alexis' wishes to think about as well. In the end, when she picked up Alexis from campus, they both seemed a little worn down.

"Hey," she said as she crawled in the front seat. "I'd sit in the back, but I know a lot of people who don't know when to mind their own business." She joked as she put her belt on and leaned back in the seat.

All Kate could offer her was a small smile and then they advanced toward a small pharmacy in Brooklyn. A quick in and out trip that left her eighty dollars shorter and a lot heavier at the slight chance that Alexis' fate could be sealed in one thin stick, they took off toward the loft. Alexis shoved the brown paper bag into her backpack as Kate parked and they moved in unison toward the elevator.

The nervous tension didn't ease up when they moved inside the loft and locked it behind them. Luckily, she knew that Castle wouldn't be barging in anytime soon. She had Kevin and Javier take care of that. Alexis took off her coat and took the bag out of the backpack and extended it toward Kate. Taking the initiative, she split the tests into two sets of three and extended Alexis' toward her.

The woman hesitated. "Just keep thinking that this is just gonna tell you that you're an idiot and everything will be fine." Kate offered and Alexis nodded as she took them in her palms.

"Have you done this before?" Alexis blurted, catching Kate off guard. "Oh my god. I'm sorry. I have no tact." She blushed furiously. "You don't have to answer that. I think I'd know if you had kids."

"Once," Kate answered anyway. "I was seventeen at the time. Just moved out to California and I was late. I freaked out because the guy I had been... seeing wasn't father material and I was so far from being ready to be a mother. But alas, it was just exam stress." She sighed gently. "Hopefully that's all it will be for you too."

The women met twenty minutes later and aligned their tests away from each other. The waiting was what was going to kill her. Kate knew there was absolutely no way that she could be pregnant, but the fact that Alexis could be scared her. She was still so young, still had hopes and dreams to achieve. She would do them too, she just had to be proved wrong.

The first minute moved as though it were an hour and by the time it clicked, Kate was ready to jump forward. They'd laid the sticks on a coffee table across the room and moved to sit at the island in the kitchen. This way they couldn't see the results from afar and they could take their time moving over.

The second minute passed by ten times as slow, and Kate was about to rip her hair out. She tried casual conversation to pass the time, but they were both too wound up to talk straight. Kate opted to clenching and unclenching her toes, though a good crack from one of them took that idea away from her. She sighed and glanced at the clock, beginning to count the seconds down.

By the time the timers went off, she was ready to either console or congratulate with Rick's daughter. Alexis looked over at her and extended her hand, which Kate took as they stood up and walked over. Alexis walked a bit quicker, she noticed, needing to know more than Kate did. When she slumped to the sofa and picked them up, a sigh of relief poured through her.

"False alarm." She grinned and Kate grinned back at her from her spot next to her. She picked her own up, ready to throw them out when a peculiar word caught her eye. She shifted her head and began examining them all, her mouth dropping agape. "Kate?" She asked, not moving from where she sat. She was still grinning, still elated from the news. "Kate, what's wrong?"

Kate looked over her results again and again, the plus sign, the double line and the clear "pregnant" mocking her. "I'm pregnant." She said numbly.

* * *

The earliest appointment she could get with her doctor was the following Tuesday, scheduled during one of Alexis' classes. Alexis insisted she come with her, citing that Kate had been so willing to do the same with her that she couldn't leave the Detective alone. Kate had been grateful, unable to think of what to tell Rick. Especially if it were only a false alarm. She wanted to be completely positive.

So that's how she and Alexis ended up in her family's doctor office, surrounded by people. Her appointment was fairly early, 9:30, and most of the patients around here walk-ins. She looked around nervously as she tried to spot someone that may delay her appointment. Only ten minutes away, she couldn't imagine that it would go that much slower.

"Have you and Dad ever, you know, talked about this kind of thing?" Alexis asked beside her. Kate whipped her head toward the young girl and nodded her head.

"Yeah, um, the child case we had a couple months back... Benny." She nodded her head as she remembered the little boy's name. "We kind of danced around the subject the whole case." She explained to her. "But I told him when the time was right..."

"Meaning after the wedding?" Alexis clarified.

Kate nodded her head. "As in way after the wedding." She placed a hand subconsciously on her stomach. "I guess we have other plans." She sighed as she dipped her head low, imagining a swollen stomach protruding from the area where her hand lay. A stomach that held a baby that she and Castle had created within.

"Katherine Beckett?" A voice called, cutting her from her thoughts. She stood immediately, Alexis at her side as they walked toward the nurse and into the awaiting room.

* * *

After the appointment and the confirmation, there was only one thing left to do. And Kate both dreaded and looked forward to it with every fibre of her being. There was no doubt that Rick would love her and their child unconditionally, however there was a doubt that she would be fit for a mother role. She had put off children for so long, citing that it was always the wrong man, wrong time. It was never the case.

She went back to work after dropping Alexis off, finished off a case with the boys and warded off Rick's questions of where she'd gone so early that morning with a quick peck of his lips and a simple "wedding" comment. Still, she felt bad for lying to him, but telling him in the precinct surrounded by cops and their friends that he was going to become a father again wasn't the intimate setting she was looking for.

At six, only an hour later than usual, they moved home. Castle stopped and picked up Chinese takeout on the way home and she but down the last of her nails successfully. It wasn't like she had reason to be petrified; she and Castle were in a committed relationship, were going to get married before the end of the year... She had no reason whatsoever to doubt that he wouldn't welcome their child instantly.

When they got home, she crawled in first, kicking off her heels and sinking to her flat feet. She let out a moan of appreciation and took the bag of food from him and moved toward the island. She would tell him after they ate. Maybe food would help calm her rolling stomach. She ate slowly, treasuring every last bite and when it came to cleaning up, he did the honours and she retired to the couch.

"Wanna watch a movie?" He asked, dragging his hand down her side slowly. "Or move somewhere else?" He added the second option suggestively. Normally, she would have jumped at the chance to roll around in their sheets together. But mid-orgasm was no way to tell someone of their impending arrival.

"Mm," she said finally. "As much as I'd love that... I think we need to talk." She said quietly. The grimness of her statement didn't fall on her until she saw the furrow of his eyebrows. "It's not bad." She told him quietly. "I hope." She added even quieter, speaking mostly to herself.

Awaiting her question, Rick stayed completely still and mute, rubbing up and down her side slowly. She was more beautiful than ever, her shyness something he wasn't used to but was always attracted to because it was a part of her. She mulled over the ways to tell him and the finally, grabbing her hands in his, she swallowed her pride.

"Okay." She let out a breath. "Last week I found Alexis inconsolable and in tears. It was the middle of the night and we talked and she thought..." She stared up into his eyes. "She thought she might have been pregnant but she wasn't," she added, though she saw the flicker of fear that glazed his eyes. "Turns out, though, I am."

Still half dazed by her comment of Alexis, it took him a long moment to bring himself to reality. He was deep in thought, the idea that Alexis could have been pregnant and he had no idea until just now. He was severely perplexed that she wouldn't have brought it up to him in confidence but then, like a flash of lightening that triggered comprehension in his mind, his head shot toward Kate quickly.

"You're what?" He asked quickly, his eyes widening as his gaze dropped to her stomach. "Wait... How did you.." He trailed off and shook his head. "It doesn't matter." He decided before she could answer and he tugged her closer to him, pressing their lips together eagerly. "We're having a baby, Kate!"

The moment his lips pressed against hers, she felt a wave of relief crossed her features. She leaned into his kiss, her fingers brushing though the baby hair at the back of his neck. As he pulled away, she replicated the grin on his features. "Yeah," she nodded her head. "I know we said we would wait but..." She shrugged her shoulders and let a soft laugh out. "How do you feel about this?"

He stared for a moment, as though his kiss had meant absolutely nothing to convey his feelings. After pausing, he cupped a large hand against her cheek and rubbed the top of her cheekbone with his thumb. "Kate," he sighed softly, and with that word through his lips she felt slightly tense again. However, his following words eased the tense in her heart and mind and body. "I couldn't be happier."

She leaned forward to brush their lips together again, slowly and carefully while his lips moved against hers at a slightly more insistent pace. She gave in to his kiss, succumbing to the natural feeling that rolled through her and left her feeling as though she were on a natural fire that only he knew how to extinguish. He pulled away after a point when the need for oxygen became too much and she rested their foreheads together gently.

"Wait..." His voice sounded like he'd just stepped out of a fog as he pulled back from her and analyzed the frown on her face. "Why did Alexis think she was...?"

The corners of Kate's lips turned up quickly and she cupped and patted his cheek gently with a slight shake of her head. "Nu-uh." She told him quietly. "That's something you're going to have to deal with your eldest about, Daddy. I kept her secret on her terms and I still abide by it."

He smiled gently, the corners of his eyes covered in well-formed crow's feet. It was the kind of gentle that made her almost fall in love with him again. If it were possible to keep doing that. "How do you feel about this?" He asked after a moment. "I know kids weren't on your agenda for a while yet."

His question caught her off guard. After learning she was indeed with child, her only care and concern had been what she was going to tell Castle. She hadn't stopped to think about how she may feel about the situation because it hadn't mattered. He was right, though; she hadn't envisioned children for herself, especially not in terms of her relationship with Castle, until a few years in the future. But neither of them were getting any younger and with each passing moment she felt as though she were losing more and more time to be able to treasure their childhoods. She stopped for a moment as she caught herself referring to her children as plural, though she prayed and should hope that Castle was too (because she'd absolutely murder him) that it was a singular pregnancy. Did that mean she wanted more than one already?

Kate had never been a traditional wife, had valued her independence too much to be saddled onto someone like she was their property. When she'd accepted Rick's proposal it had been because she knew that him, above everyone on this planet, treated her like she was his equal (and often his successor). Their relationship was built on mutual respect and love and she was happy with that. Adding a child, she thought, could only further solidify her thoughts of their fantastic teamwork becoming their greatest achievement.

So, Kate let out a soft breath and allowed the smile to take over her features. She decided that no matter how soon it felt like they were moving in the direction of a new beginning, she was happy. "I think," she pondered carefully, moving her arms around his neck. "That we're just getting started, Castle. And that I can do this as long as you're standing beside me."

"Always." He said instantly and she melted into his embrace, throwing her legs over his lap while he tugged her against his body. His lips claimed hers again and she eased into their kiss, beginning slow and steady and quickly turning quick and bumpy and heated.

She pulled away from their lips while his continued to move insistently against any part of her skin that he could reach. "As much as I like the prospects of doing this on the couch..." She trailed off, causing him to slow down some. "I think moving this to a secluded area could be worth our while."

Rick laughed and they disentangled while he extended his palm in her direction. She took no hesitancy as they moved toward their bedroom and he closed the door behind them. As he began shedding her clothes, his lips moved to her neck and he hummed. "I love you," he whispered into the area where her neck met her shoulder, pressing soft and wild kisses against the indent.

Kate sighed, brushing her fingers through his hair. "Then show me," she challenged, watching as he tugged his head back quickly to catch the look in her eyes. She smirked as he took no time to press their lips together and move back toward the bed, falling on top of her ungracefully as her knees collapsed behind her. They took a moment to readjust, her moving on top to straddle his hips and him working away at her arousal covered panties as they ground into his hardening erection. "I love you," she gasped gently and he lowered his mouth to her collar bone.

"Always, always." He chanted and she felt her eyes roll back into her head as his mouth claimed a nipple and his hand claimed the other. She held still as he worked, her breathing becoming erratic.

This wasn't the plan, she knew. And maybe it was a bit sooner than she would have imagined but she couldn't picture them doing anything together any other way. She'd held out on him and him her for four years. They still had so much time to catch up on.

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A/N #2: AGAIN! I hope whoever prompted this idea is happy with the results. I am! I literally wrote it on my iPod touch last night at like 3 am I was so inspired. I couldn't get it out of my head. Thank you to the readers and the prompter! Have a great April Fools Day :)


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